CJ Kemp

Carlos Kemp Jr., also known as CJ Kemp (1999, Greensboro, NC) is an American composer, arranger, and music educator. He currently lives in Starkville, Mississippi, where he graduated from Starkville High School. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Mississippi State University. Kemp’s career in composition began during his sophomore year of college as a percussionist (2018) when his duet for marimba and clarinet, Canción de cuna, won the annual composition competition hosted by the MSU Percussion Studio. Since then, his works for solo percussion, percussion ensemble, woodwind quintet, and concert band have been recorded and performed by several groups within the state, including the Mississippi State Symphonic Band and the Mississippi All-State Lion’s Band. He is currently an assistant band director at his alma mater, Starkville High School, where he continues to teach, arrange, and compose.